Girona vs Rayo Vallecano Prediction, 00:00 August 16: 2 contrasting faces

TPO - Football review Girona vs Rayo Vallecano, La Liga - Team information, expected lineup, form, head-to-head history. This is a match between two contrasting faces in the last campaign.

Pre-match review Girona vs Rayo Vallecano

La Liga 2025/26 kicks off at the Montilivi Stadium tonight, with Girona and Rayo Vallecano set to be a mouthwatering affair. Last season, Girona finished 16th in the Spanish top flight, just one point above the relegation zone. It was a disappointing campaign for Girona, as the season before they finished 3rd in the table, ahead of Atletico. The reward for their efforts was a Champions League ticket.

However, it was their participation in Europe's number one tournament that got them stuck. The club did not have enough investment in players and had to play so often that they struggled to balance the domestic and European competitions. That was why, while competing in the continental arena, they performed very poorly in La Liga. At the end of the campaign, the club improved somewhat. It helped them finish the season in 16th place, just 1 point above the relegation zone.

On the other side of the front line, Vallecano had a strong 2024/25 campaign. Their tough, scientific style of play helped this modest team finish 8th in the rankings. They won a place in the play-off round for the Conference League. Compared to 17th place in the previous season, this is clearly a leap for Vallecano. So, it can be said that this is a match between two opponents.

Form, head-to-head history Girona vs Rayo Vallecano

After a poor 2024/25 season, Girona invested heavily in improving their ability this campaign. They added Hugo Rincon, Axel Witsel, Vitor Reis and Thomas Lemar to the squad. Witsel and Lemar are experienced names, with proven skills at Atletico before.

While the teams only played 3-4 friendly matches, Girona played 6 matches in the pre-season. Their results were quite positive with 3 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. On the other side, Vallecano's record was equivalent to 2 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw in 4 friendly matches.

But in recent years, Girona has tended to dominate Vallecano in head-to-head matches. At the Montilivi Stadium, Girona has the advantage with 7 wins, while the Madrid team has only 4 wins. If we count the last 5 meetings, Girona has enjoyed 3 victories, while Vallecano has only 1.

The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 2-1 victory for Rayo Vallecano. But they will find it difficult to repeat that when meeting Girona, a team that promises to change a lot last summer, but is not as busy with the schedule as Vallecano (no European play-offs).

Expected lineup Girona vs Rayo Vallecano

Expected Girona lineup: Vladyslav Krapyvtsov, Arnau Martinez, Alejandro Frances, Ladislav Krejci, Daley Blind, Viktor Tsygankov, Arthur Melo, Yangel Herrera, Yaser Asprilla, Cristian Portu, Christian Stuani.

Rayo Vallecano expected lineup: Augusto Batalla, Andrei Ratiu, Florian Lejeune, Aridane Hernandez, Ivan Balliu, Pep Chavarria, Pathe Ciss, Unai Lopez, Jorge De Frutos, Isi Palazon, Alvaro Garcia.

Score prediction: Girona 2-1 Rayo Vallecano

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhan-dinh-girona-vs-rayo-vallecano-00h00-ngay-168-2-bo-mat-trai-nguoc-post1769386.tpo